This game...
This game conjured many thoughts during its 20 hour duration; often contradictory or in spite of personal preconceived notions, and almost all of a positive nature. It might be hard to believe for some, but this 25 year old relic of SEGA's past still radiates much of the same power that its longtime fans have echoed on forums and comment sections in the years since it's debut...
This game should have been cancelled, viewed only through grainy magazine screenshots, compressed quicktime videos and discussed only by the dedicated via half truths and badly translated articles. And yet it made it out of a hellish development cycle, never compromising it's vision but instead working with the unique tools available on the Saturn to make something truly special. Of note is its sense of scale, often eclipsing things seen on competing systems in concept and, most impressively, in practice. From the towering mutants, war machines and rival dragons that the player regularly grapples with, to the never-ending variety of arcane ruins explored throughout the wastelands, there's always something awe inspiring to discover throughout the game's 4 discs. While its seams and shortcuts are easily noted, they are just as easily appreciated for what was attempted moreso than if the effect were pulled off perfectly. When a 3D camera has an eye for composition this good and an overall art direction that precedes the game itself at this point, what does a short draw distance really matter in the grand scheme of things...?
This game's bold choice to shift genres from its predecessors should have alienated it from the entries that came before, casting it aside as 'the black sheep' of the series and stricken from canon. But, both in terms of gameplay and narrative, it's the perfect finale to the Saturn trilogy. In particular, the way it builds off of it's prequel Panzer Dragoon Zwei is nothing short of miraculous, enhancing that game's visual storytelling in a way that only adds to that game's overall experience (rather than demystifying it, as is all too common with sequels of this verbosity) and evolving its unique scoring system into something just as fitting for a role playing game, without losing the initial appeal. Even the first game gets some love, contextualizing most of it's iconic levels into free roam environments to explore and uncover! In an era of games focused too much on leaving their pasts behind, a game with this much respect for it's heritage and roots is one to respect...
This game, frankly, should have had an awful localization, given its status as a 90's RPG and being one of the very last Saturn games for the system. And though it deviates slightly from the original Japanese (by admission of the developers themselves), it's a shockingly coherent, emotional script that conveys exactly what is needed without notable cuts, errors or over-explanation. It helps, too, in what is either a rare display of respect for it's performances or a simple way to cut costs, the original Japanese voice acting is present and in full force here, greatly enhancing the 'otherworldly' tone of the game for a foreign audience and in general, giving every spoken line that much more gravitas. After all, a narrative that's equal parts enigmatic and exciting requires (ironically enough) just as much clarity and subtlety to work, especially as it begins to twist and turn in an eerily modern way...
This game, however, isn't completely perfect, as easy as it'd be to pretend otherwise. In another unusual shift away from SEGA's other titles, it's a remarkably unchallenging game to get through, making some of it's more climactic battles over sooner than expected and it's numerous, tantalizing combat options unfortunately moot in the process. And for as brusquely paced as this game is, there's a notable slump during the second disc that coincides with the game's admittedly awkward 'on foot' sections taking centre stage. It's fascinating from a world building standpoint, but less interesting overall than the flight exploration and combat sequences it's sandwiched between...
This game was ultimately destined to be an expensive, neglected oddity. A game with this much ambition, developed by a team more interested in creating a memorable artistic experience than a profitable crowd pleaser, on a game system that was internationally sabotaged from the very beginning was never going to be a franchise spawning blockbuster. But it, at the very least, deserves some form of recognition, attention, and a reputation greater than 'expensive, artsy failure'! SEGA should forever be ashamed of themselves for losing the original source code, and given how complex and nuanced the game is, it doesn't seem likely that they'll ever invest big in the full blown remaster/remake it'd require...
This game... There's still a lot to say about this game, and yet to say anything more would be to spoil it's surprises. Its genius gameplay consolidations, its surprising story telling, its astonishing artwork and especially its marvelous music should be well known and influential, old hat and well worn topics by many. It deserves to be played by everyone, from RPG veterans looking for an unconventional setting to immerse themselves in, to action fans who just want to see dragons make shit explode in spectacular fashion. And with recent advances in emulation software (as well as modifications to the aging original hardware), there really is no better time to visit a world that has been long forsaken, yet will live forever in myths and legends...
Ne-rai.
This game conjured many thoughts during its 20 hour duration; often contradictory or in spite of personal preconceived notions, and almost all of a positive nature. It might be hard to believe for some, but this 25 year old relic of SEGA's past still radiates much of the same power that its longtime fans have echoed on forums and comment sections in the years since it's debut...
This game should have been cancelled, viewed only through grainy magazine screenshots, compressed quicktime videos and discussed only by the dedicated via half truths and badly translated articles. And yet it made it out of a hellish development cycle, never compromising it's vision but instead working with the unique tools available on the Saturn to make something truly special. Of note is its sense of scale, often eclipsing things seen on competing systems in concept and, most impressively, in practice. From the towering mutants, war machines and rival dragons that the player regularly grapples with, to the never-ending variety of arcane ruins explored throughout the wastelands, there's always something awe inspiring to discover throughout the game's 4 discs. While its seams and shortcuts are easily noted, they are just as easily appreciated for what was attempted moreso than if the effect were pulled off perfectly. When a 3D camera has an eye for composition this good and an overall art direction that precedes the game itself at this point, what does a short draw distance really matter in the grand scheme of things...?
This game's bold choice to shift genres from its predecessors should have alienated it from the entries that came before, casting it aside as 'the black sheep' of the series and stricken from canon. But, both in terms of gameplay and narrative, it's the perfect finale to the Saturn trilogy. In particular, the way it builds off of it's prequel Panzer Dragoon Zwei is nothing short of miraculous, enhancing that game's visual storytelling in a way that only adds to that game's overall experience (rather than demystifying it, as is all too common with sequels of this verbosity) and evolving its unique scoring system into something just as fitting for a role playing game, without losing the initial appeal. Even the first game gets some love, contextualizing most of it's iconic levels into free roam environments to explore and uncover! In an era of games focused too much on leaving their pasts behind, a game with this much respect for it's heritage and roots is one to respect...
This game, frankly, should have had an awful localization, given its status as a 90's RPG and being one of the very last Saturn games for the system. And though it deviates slightly from the original Japanese (by admission of the developers themselves), it's a shockingly coherent, emotional script that conveys exactly what is needed without notable cuts, errors or over-explanation. It helps, too, in what is either a rare display of respect for it's performances or a simple way to cut costs, the original Japanese voice acting is present and in full force here, greatly enhancing the 'otherworldly' tone of the game for a foreign audience and in general, giving every spoken line that much more gravitas. After all, a narrative that's equal parts enigmatic and exciting requires (ironically enough) just as much clarity and subtlety to work, especially as it begins to twist and turn in an eerily modern way...
This game, however, isn't completely perfect, as easy as it'd be to pretend otherwise. In another unusual shift away from SEGA's other titles, it's a remarkably unchallenging game to get through, making some of it's more climactic battles over sooner than expected and it's numerous, tantalizing combat options unfortunately moot in the process. And for as brusquely paced as this game is, there's a notable slump during the second disc that coincides with the game's admittedly awkward 'on foot' sections taking centre stage. It's fascinating from a world building standpoint, but less interesting overall than the flight exploration and combat sequences it's sandwiched between...
This game was ultimately destined to be an expensive, neglected oddity. A game with this much ambition, developed by a team more interested in creating a memorable artistic experience than a profitable crowd pleaser, on a game system that was internationally sabotaged from the very beginning was never going to be a franchise spawning blockbuster. But it, at the very least, deserves some form of recognition, attention, and a reputation greater than 'expensive, artsy failure'! SEGA should forever be ashamed of themselves for losing the original source code, and given how complex and nuanced the game is, it doesn't seem likely that they'll ever invest big in the full blown remaster/remake it'd require...
This game... There's still a lot to say about this game, and yet to say anything more would be to spoil it's surprises. Its genius gameplay consolidations, its surprising story telling, its astonishing artwork and especially its marvelous music should be well known and influential, old hat and well worn topics by many. It deserves to be played by everyone, from RPG veterans looking for an unconventional setting to immerse themselves in, to action fans who just want to see dragons make shit explode in spectacular fashion. And with recent advances in emulation software (as well as modifications to the aging original hardware), there really is no better time to visit a world that has been long forsaken, yet will live forever in myths and legends...
Ne-rai.
Reviewed on Feb 18, 2022
SlapOnToast
2 years ago
https://shmuplations.com/panzerdragoonsaga/
My main points of reference for some of the bigger claims I made during the review (and just excellent insight into the games themselves)! Do note that they're full of spoilers, so they're best left read after playing the game (which you should absolutely do!).